"From the dawn of Christian history, Baptism and Confirmation have been very closely associated. To this day, Catholics belonging to the Eastern rite receive both sacraments in infancy. Pope St. Leo I makes this relationship very clear. He compares the natural life of our bodies with the supernatural life of our souls. Baptism, he says, corresponds to our bodily birth. Confirmation corresponds to our bodily growth." - John A. Hardon, S.J.
MORE of this article comparing Baptism and Confirmation... here.
Sacrament
of Baptism
The practice of baptism was a common rite of initiation in many religious
expressions in the ancient Mediterranean world. From the time of Jesus,
Christianity also expressed through water baptism freedom from sin, union
with Jesus Christ and all other baptized persons, our participation in
the salvific death and resurrection of Jesus and our new life in the Spirit.
Godparents
The role of the godparent for baptism is rooted in the role
of the sponsor in the catechumenate, which originated in the early Church.
Recall that until the year 313, the Church was under the persecution of
the Roman Empire and had to be cautious in conducting its affairs so as
to prevent pagan infiltration and persecution. Also, until the Middle
Ages, the Sacraments of Initiation — baptism, holy Eucharist, and
confirmation — were administered at once. The role of the sponsor
then was to attest to the integrity of the person, oftentimes an adult,
seeking admission into the Church as well as to assist him during the
catechumenate in preparing for these sacraments and in living a Christian
life. For infants, these sponsors would also make the Profession of Faith
in the child's name and accept the responsibility of instructing the child
in the faith, especially if the parents failed in this duty. About the
year 800 when infant baptism was truly the norm, these sponsors were called
"patrinus," or "godfather." Traditionally, we identify
the sponsor of a child for baptism as the godparent — godmother or
godfather, but the technical term remains "sponsor." ---more---
Names
Early in prehistory, descriptive names were used continuously. Eventually,
a collection of names were formed that identified that particular culture.
Today, the meanings of many names are not known, due to the aging history
of a name. As time goes on, languages change, and words that formed the
original name are often unrecognizable. The rise in Christianity transformed
the history of names. Christians were encouraged to name their children
after saints and martyrs of the church. Because of this influence, we
now see names such as Mary, Martha, Joseph, James, Mark, Paul, and John
prominent among many cultures. These names were spread by early missionaries
throughout Europe.
"Christian names", says the Elizabethan antiquary, Camden, "were imposed for the distinction of persons, surnames for the difference of families." It would seem from this that, even in the sixteenth century, the etymological and historical significance of the phrase "Christian name" was growning dim, and it is commonly quite forgotten in our own time. But, strictly speaking, the "Christian name" is not merely the forename distinctive of the individual member of a family, but the name given to him at his "christening", i.e., his baptism. It should be remembered that, in pre-Reformation England the laity were taught to administer baptism in case of necessity with the words: "I christen thee in the name of the Father" etc. To "christen" is therefore to "baptize", and "Christian name" means baptismal name. ---more---
Sacrament
of Confirmation
The ritual for the Sacrament
of Confirmation did not exist before the 3rd Century but there is evidence
in Scripture that the Apostles did lay their hands on converts. Bishops
also, usually anointed or imposed hands on new converts. These actions
are often associated with the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments of Initiation.
The current thinking on the Sacrament of Confirmation is that it constitutes
a process by which the Spirit brings the believer to full union with the
Christian community. Confirmation renews and strengthens the baptismal
call to bear witness to Christ and to work toward the mission of Christ.
For many Christians, confirmation is one of the three rites of initiation which incorporate an individual into the Body of Christ–that is, membership in the Christian Church (Acts 8:15–16). The other two are BAPTISM and Eucharist. The purpose of confirmation is to confer the presence of the Holy Spirit into the life of the child or adult. The practice of administering confirmation immediately after infant baptism was of ancient origin. Throughout the early church, and still today in the Eastern churches, infants received the three sacrament of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist within a few minutes of each other, and in that order. This tradition emphasized the innocence and equality of children with adults, in the eyes of the Church, by granting them full participation in the liturgy. Children did not have to prove their worthiness to receive the sacraments by mastering the catechism or by testifying to their belief in Christian dogma when they attained the age of discretion (i.e., seven). The early Church identified full participation with the spiritual maturity conferred by baptismal regeneration. Membership in the Church was spiritual. It had nothing to do with age or intellectual and physical maturity. Confirmation as an episcopal rite was characterized by the laying on of hands and chrismation, which involved the application of chrism, a consecrated oil. The bishop anointed the forehead with chrism and recited these words: "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Articles
Baptism
Confirmation
Related Catechism